Sunday, July 31, 2011

Influential songs

Tonight I thought I would share with those who will see my blog songs that had a lasting influence on me from my teenage years and into my college years. I thought it would be best if I compiled all those songs on my playlist than just post a series of video clips from youtube.

My first introduction to industrial music was back in high school. It was Ministry's Psalm 69 album. I wouldn't get into industrial music hardcore until my mid 20s but the song "Psalm 69" never left my system. I have to admit my early teen years music-wise revolved around hair metal but once Nirvana and the "grunge" scene burst into the music scene, that killed my attraction to hair metal. I wasn't big on Nirvana or Pearl Jam or Soundgarden, but I LOVED L7. I even got into the mosh pit during their set at the 1994 Lollapalooza on Harriet Island.

The alternative scene back in the '90s was definitely vibrant and it really appealed to me. While my peers in high school was listening to the mainstream crap on 101.3 KDWB, I was listening to the likes of Social Distortion, Texas, L7, Cocteau Twins, 7 Year Bitch, Blondie, Zu Zu's Petals, Concrete Blonde, The Rollins Band, The Gits, Babes in Toyland, Ministry, etc...etc... . The angst reall appealed to me.

When I went to college in Iowa (for one lousy year which was one too many), that was when I discovered Siouxsie and the Banshees. She was a godsend to me. I was miserable as hell in such a lily-white, conservative town. I felt like an outsider (not only because I was Asian) but the fact that I didn't dress like everyone else (for me I was all about my black leather jacket, doc martens, and flannel shirts, oh and the occasional fluffy slippers...lol). On a whim I ordered through Columbia House records (LOL) a cassette copy of Siouxsie & The Banshees' Twice Upon a Time compilation. I think I wore that sucker out completely because I was constantly playing it non-stop.

It wasn't until I transferred over to UW-Milwaukee from that hell hole Iowa did my interest in industrial music start to develop more seriously. The very first industrial song that really got my interest going was KMFDM's "Juke Joint Jezebel". I had a couple of friends who had that single in their jukebox. I eventually bought the single from the oh so cool indie record store Atomic Records (RIP). When I moved back to the Twin Cities in 1999, one of the first cds I bought was KMFDM's Retro.

Looking back now, my taste has definitely evolved from uber bad to awesome. Lately I have been getting into David Bowie and The Jesus and Mary Chain. It is as almost I am coming full circle minus the bad hair metal. LOL!